What is a normal resting heart rate?

For most adults, a resting heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute is considered normal. Regular exercisers often sit well below that; trained hearts pump more blood per beat, so they need fewer beats.

Your number also moves with sleep, stress, caffeine, hydration, illness, and some medications. A single reading means little; the trend over weeks means a lot.

A resting rate persistently above 100, persistently below 50 in someone who is not athletic, or a change accompanied by dizziness, fainting, or breathlessness is worth a clinician’s look.